The Pack

Chapter 16

Catherine POV
I headed out of the house to go buy some lemons and honey. I still can't get over Minnie giving Tim those flowers, she's such a sweet girl and I'm happy that Tim will have her as a best friend. I know Minnie, she'll stand up for her friends in any situation. I sure hope that her other friends are just as nice to Tim.
On my way to the market area, I see other pups playing with their parents and their friends and I really want Tim to be able to do the same thing with them. But at least he'll always have Minnie to play with.
Finally arriving at the market area, I see venders managing their own individual stands and customers perusing their product. We have special areas of the cave that we use exclusively for growing crops, an area for raising livestock, and there are even ice caves located deep in the recesses of the cave that we use for food storage. Each of these places are usually guarded to prevent any form of theft. Only those with permission from the Alpha are allowed in, or if it's your job to go in there of course.
These places didn't use to be so heavily guarded, the reason these places are so guarded is because a few years ago the cave was raided by an entire pack of rogues, they caused one hell of a mess for us and our home. Needless to say the Alpha was livid and immediately sent out the pack warriors to hunt down the rogues and purge them. The operation was successful but we lost a great number of our pack warriors. As it turns out the rogue pack was much better equipped and experienced than we could have ever thought. They had been rogues for years, pulling these same heists on countless other packs. Their decision to hit our pack was their greatest and last mistake they ever made. The Alpha was usually a very merciless were when it came to things like this, same with offenders in our own pack. Depending on your offense your punishment was either as small as three months of cleaning duty for the whole cave, or as big as the death penalty. A little more often than not, the Alpha would either exile you... or just straight kill you outright. However the Alpha had become a little more lenient throughout the years of being Alpha. I remember it was about a year ago that we had a lone traveling rogue arrive at the cave, 'wanderers' we called them. Werewolves that leave their pack of their own accord. Majority of packs throughout the world usually kill a rogue on sight when they enter another packs territory, that had been the case with us for years especially after the rogue heist a few years back. But this time the Alpha made an exception for this wanderer. They said that they were just passing through and was wondering if they could stay just one night here to eat and rest and that they would be on their way first thing in the morning and no later. The Alpha allowed the wanderer to stay the night and true to their word, they were gone the very next morning.
Walking up to one of the three produce stands, I look at a large basket display of lemons and pick a few good ones and pay for them.
Vender: "Thanks Catherine, come again!"
The vender thanked me.
Almost everyone in the pack knew each other in some way. It was important to at least know the names of your pack-mates because a pack is made to operate as one, working together with your fellow weres was the very basis on which the pack survived. Any pack.
I continued my way through the market, there weren't many other weres here today.
'Ah there you are!'
I say in my head as I finally found a small bottle of honey and bought that as well.
Vender: "Thanks Catherine, hey how's the human pup?"
The vender asked which surprised me as I didn't expect them to really care. Either they were actually curious about how Tim is holding up or they were just interested in a potentially new customer. Either way, I answered anyway.
Catherine: "He's holding in there, Luke but unfortunately he is really sick right now so I'm buying ingredients to brew him some tea."
I said as I held the small bag in my hands.
Luke: "I'm sorry to hear that he isn't feeling well but I'm sure that you girls and that tea will heal him right up!"
Luke said and I actually couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not but he seemed to catch on to that.
Luke: "I am actually curious as to how the poor guy is acclimating. I heard about what he'd been through and I'm glad that he has people like you and your roommates to look after him."
Luke assured me and this time I could tell he was being sincere which made me happy.
Thanking him one last time, I continued to go buy the tea leaves and some chamomile to help Tim sleep and began walking back home with a brisk step because our little pup needs us. On my way back to the hut, I ran into Nick, Dr. Issacs assistant. I could tell that he still held a little resentment towards Tim which admittedly ticked me off although I understand why. Years ago Nick had a mate. The terms 'husband' or 'wife' held little meaning in a pack of werewolves. You had a 'mate' which could mean either boy or girl, it was the biggest and greatest form of bond or friendship. It was a 'catch all' term that covered the definition of 'husband', 'wife', 'boyfriend', and 'girlfriend'. It mattered not if your mate was the same gender as you or not, your lives are intertwined by fate and although it is possible to find more than one mate, if you were to reject your mate would be the ultimate insult that you could make. Nick had a mate years ago. Back then Nick wasn't an assistant and was a part of the hunting parties along with his mate, Daniela. They had been school sweethearts for years and were inseparable. At least up until a few years ago, six or seven years I think. They were out on a hunt when they ran into a human hunting party which believed the two of them to be normal wolves to hunt and harvest their fur. Before Nick and Daniela could run the other way, the humans shot at them, Nick was spared any injury but his mate wasn't so lucky. Daniela suffered a fatal wound and bled out almost immediately.
'RUN MY LOVE! run and don't... look. Back... I lov-'
Those were her last words to Nick before she died. Nick was devastated because he wasn't able to take her body back to the cave and give her a proper burial. After that, Nick left the hunting parties and became Dr. Isaacs assistant and literally never left the cave again. Needless to say that Nick developed a deep hatred towards humans.
Catherine: "Thank you Nick."
I simply said and to my surprise he responded.
Nick: "Don't mention it."
He said in a slightly monotone voice. I had actually expected him to either give me a side glance, or a scoff, or just not say anything at all. I could tell he legitimately meant that he didn't want me to mention what he did for Tim.
Arriving back to the hut, I saw Tim sitting on the bed hugging a trash bin, hovering his head over it. He clearly was either getting ready to throw up again or he already did and was getting ready to do it a second time. Haley was next to Tim gently rubbing his back to try and help soothe him. Poor Tim looked as pale as a ghost and I could tell from his posture that he was about to throw up again and he did. Tim was crying a little now because of the overwhelming discomfort and his throat was now burning because of the stomach acid that he also threw up.
Haley: "Are you ok to drink some water?"
Haley asked quickly as she was ready to hand over a glass of water and Tim nodded a few seconds later. Tim viciously gulped down the water to soothe his stomach acid burned throat and almost chugged the whole glass releasing his lips from the glass he started breathing heavily because of how long he was chugging.
I wasted no time in preparing Tim his tea.
Catherine: "Don't worry pup, this tea will help you."
I said to him sweetly as I set the ingredients on the counter and began boiling some water. I grabbed the tea leaves and chamomile and placed them off to the side and took a small cup and sliced a lemon in half and squeezed both halves in the cup and placed that off to the side and waited for the water to boil. I chopped some of the leaves a few times because I find that it helps strengthen the tea and stirred for a few minutes and took a clean cup and a strainer to put on top and poured the tea and added a little lemon juice and a few drops of honey and stirred it for another few minutes.
Catherine: "Here you go, little one."
I say as I gently handed Tim the cup and quickly went to helping him hold it because he was losing his strength and almost dropped the hot tea on himself. Tim took a small sip to taste it and seemed to like it as he immediately went to take a bigger sip and eased back in bed right after.
Tim: "It tastes good. Felt good on my throat."
Tim said with a wheeze.
It's good he felt a difference because I was afraid I had put too much lemon juice but it seems I put just the right amount because Tim's lips didn't pucker even a little bit.
I drape the blanket back over Tim as he took a deep wheezy breath trying to relax.
Tim: "... I love you mommies..."
Tim said with his eyes closed.
There it was again, the pang in my heart as it did backflips, the butterfly's in my stomach. How could anyone possibly not love this little guy. So sweet, innocent, cute, and loving. To his parents... I swear on my life... I will find you... and I will kill you for what you've done to this little angel. I'll keep you alive and conscious long enough to experience all the pain.
Tim seemed to have fallen asleep as his breathing evened in a steady but wheezy rhythm.
About an hour later Tim is still asleep when Vicky and Jackie come home and open the door quietly to come inside.
Jackie: "So how is the cutie?"
Jackie whispered.
Catherine: "He's hanging in there. Had diarrhea and threw up a few times but... he's hanging in there."
I informed them in a whisper.
Vicky: "Well I'm sure that with all four of us here he will get better in no time."
Vicky whispered.
Jackie: "We're going to need to go to the springs in a little while. The hot water should help him."
Jackie said as she carefully sat next to Tim and checked his temperature with her hand on his forehead.
Jackie: "Still too hot..."
Jackie whispered more to herself as she gently caressed Tim's face and he unconsciously leaned into her hand with a very small smile.
'How does he stay so unbelievably cute?'
I think to myself as I watch Jackie continue to caress Tim's face. The springs sounded like a really good idea. It'll help him relax but it'll be a chance to get him washed up because all that sweat was starting to make him a smelly. We'll wait until he wakes up on his own. The longer he doesn't have to consciously feel discomfort the better.